"Corsica: The Isle of Beauty"
Travel Info 2008

When and where does this tour begin and end?

The tour begins the morning of Thursday October 9 when we pick you up at the Ajaccio ferry at 07:30 and ends the morning of Friday October 17 when we take you to the Corte train station after a last optional ride.

Getting There

West Coast travel to Paris
Most flights leave the US in the afternoon or evening and arrive the next day in the morning, usually between 07:30 and 11:30. The TGV (bullet train) is good for travel within France and it's easier if you're transporting your bike, as domestic airlines may charge you more for the extra luggage.

Paris Transfers (Airport to Train Stations/Hotels) More information...
If you bring your own bicycle, you may want to look for an express shuttle bus or a taxi. Without a bicycle, you can also take a mini-van or the train/subway.

Transfer from Paris to Ajaccio, Corsica
There are two ways to reach Corsica from Paris. The easiest is to fly all the way to Corsica, but you could also take a TGV train from Paris (CDG or Gare-de-Lyon) to Marseille or Toulon and then the ferry to Ajaccio.

Flying to Corsica
Air France has daily flights from Paris to Ajaccio that usually arrive mid-morning, too late to start our tour. If you fly, you will need to arrive a day early and spend a night in Ajaccio. You may also want to check with your travel agent for other flights, particularly from Italy.

Flying from Seattle all the way to Corsica
Seattle-Paris Departure Oct 7th (14:05) Air France flight AF049 / 7568/4502/4504 (arrival 08:50 on Oct 8. Transfer from CDG to Orly airport)
Paris (ORY)-Ajaccio (AJA) Depature 11:30 Air France Flight 7568 Arrival in Ajaccio at 13:05 on October 8.

Ajaccio (AJA)-Paris (ORY) Depature 11:50 (Oct. 17) Air France Flight 4503 (arrival 13:25 Transfer from Orly to CDG airport)
Paris (ORY) to New York (JFK) Depature 2:55pm Air France Flight 8988 (arrival 17:00)
New York (JFK) Depature 19:35 Flight Delta Air Lines 631 (arrival 23:19 on Oct. 17)

An alternative would be to visit Paris for a night and take a next day direct flight Paris-Seattle.

Reaching Corsica by Train and Ferry
Train transfer from Paris to Marseille (or Toulon)
You may want to take one of these two daily trains:

TGV 6113 departure 13:20 from Paris (Gare-de-Lyon) arrival Marseille 16:30
or
TGV 5114 departure 14:03 from Paris (Charles-de-Gaulle Airport) arrival Marseille 17:46

You may find more information on

Transfer from Marseille to Ajaccio More information...
There is a ferry leaving Marseille at 20:00 that arrives in Ajaccio the next morning at 07:30 where we will wait for you on October 9 to begin our tour. The return ferry leaves from Ajaccio at 19:00 and arrives in Marseille the next morning at 07:00. You could also return from Bastia (instead of Ajaccio) to Marseille or Toulon instead (train from Corte to Bastia).

If you'd like to return the same way, the return ferry leaves from Ajaccio at 19:00 and arrives in Marseille the next morning at 07:00. You could also return from Bastia (train from Corte).

You may find more information on this website...

When do I need to plan to leave and return from the West Coast?

We recommend that you take the October 7 ferry to arrive one day early in Ajaccio to rest, visit Napoleon's birthplace, and enjoy the beach before your tour, which begins on the morning of October 9.

Short on time?

When you arrive at Paris CDG airport, you may be able to take the 14.03 TGV train (#5114) for Marseille that same day (October 8) in time to catch the ferry that evening to arrive at our meeting place in Ajaccio the morning of October 9. You should ensure that your flight from the US will arrive early enough at Paris CDG to retrieve your luggage, clear customs/immigration and transfer to the TGV terminal: a minimum of two hours is recommended.

We will take you to the Corte train station mid-day on friday October 17 for your return. Your direct train stops a few hundred yards from the ferry terminal where you can leave the same day, arriving in Marseille at 7:00 AM on Saturday October 18. You should have no problem transferring to Paris the same day (TGV 6112 at 09:31 to arrive in Paris (Gare-de-Lyon) at 12:31) and should be able to fly back to the US and arrive home on Sunday October 19.

What can I do with more time?

After your tour, you may want to take a bus to visit some of the harbors in the south of the island or push on to visit neighboring Sardinia. From Corte, you can also take a train to Bastia and the ferry to Toulon to visit Provence and the French Riviera or a direct ferry to Italy.